white cohosh
- noun
- /ˈhwaɪt ˈkoʊhɑːʃ/
- Specialized
:
cohosh blanco
- The berries of white cohosh are known to be highly toxic if ingested.
Examples
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Many woodland animals avoid eating white cohosh due to its poisonous properties.
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Gardeners are advised to identify white cohosh correctly to prevent accidental poisoning.
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The white cohosh plant is found in many forests.
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Many people are unaware of the dangers of white cohosh berries.
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Gardeners are advised to identify white cohosh correctly to prevent accidental poisoning.
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Many woodland animals avoid eating white cohosh due to its poisonous properties.
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The berries of white cohosh are known to be highly toxic if ingested.
Synonyms
A forest plant with white poisonous berries that look like small round eyes
A forest plant with small round white berries that look like eyes and are poisonous
A North American plant with white poisonous berries that look like small balls
A North American plant with white, poisonous berries like small eyes
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition where 'white' simply specifies the color of the plant named 'cohosh.' Given the constituent meanings, a B1 learner who knows 'white' and 'cohosh' can readily infer it denotes a cohosh that is white in appearance. The pattern (color adjective modifying a noun) is cross-linguistically common and therefore fully compositional.
Etymology
White cohosh gets its name from its pale color (white) and the word cohosh, a name taken from Native American words for certain woodland herbs. So, the image of a pale, berry-bearing plant called white cohosh helps you remember it is a 'poisonous' 'herb'.
